L niebauer



Jan. 31, 1956 K, L. NIEBAUER 2,733,384

AUTOMATIC RECLOSING CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Oct. 23, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet lWITNESSES: INVENTOR 5 47 12 Kenneth L.Niebouer. ML 7% ATTORNEY Jan. 31,1956 K. L. NIEBAUER 2,733,334

AUTOMATIC RECLOSING CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Oct. 23, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Fig.2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR Kenneth L.Niebouer. J. Um BY ATTORNEY Jan. 31, 1956K. L. NIEBAUER AUTOMATIC RECLOSING CIRCUIT BREAKER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3Filed Oct. 23, 1951 Fig.4.

( 23 Insulation INVENTOR Kenneth L.Nieb

WITNESSES: 5%7 7" Jan. 31, 1956 K. L. NIEBAUER AUTOMATIC RECLOSINGCIRCUIT BREAKER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 25, 1951 INVENTOR KennethL.Niebo WITNESSES: 7v

ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,733,384 AUTOMATIC REfiLOSING cli'zcur'rBREAKER Kenneth L. Nihauer, Wilkiushurg; p sna -nor to westihghouseElectric Corporation; East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Application October 23, 1s1, Serial No. 252,648 17 claims.(or. 31142) My invention relates generally to circuit interrupters, andit has reference in particular to circuit interrupters of the automaticreclosing type. Automatic reclosing circuit breakers are generally ofthe oil-filled type. Since such reclosers are often located and areseldom serviced,

automatic opening and reclosing operations.

It is also another object of my invention to provide in These and otherobjects of this invention will become more apparent upon considerationof the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof,when taken in connection with the following drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a reclosing circuit breakerembodying the invention in one of its forms;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partly sectioned view of the reclosing circuitbreaker of Fig. 1 with the tank and cover casting sectioned along theline 11-41;

v Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the counter shown in Fig. 2; 4

Fig. 4 is a partly broken out enlarged side elevational view. of thesectionalizing switch shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 isan enlargedsectional view of the interrupter forming part of the recloser of Fig. 17 I 1 I Referring to Fig. 1 ofthedrawings, it will be seen that an.automatic reclosingtcircuit breaker 1 0 embodying the principal featuresof the invention may comprise gener- 2,733,384 Patented Jan. 31, 1956ally a sectionalizing switch or sectionalizer 11 having an interruptingdevice 12 mounted on the sectionalizing switch and connected in seriescircuit relation therewith. Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, it will be seenthat the of James M. Wallace et al., and assigned to the assignee coil19, the circuit continues through a conductor 21 separated from theconductor 18 by insulation 20, back underneath the bushing 17 for thelead 16; and thence to the terminal 22 which constitutes one of thestationary contacts of the sectionalizer. the sectionalizer has twoBushings, each with its lead passing through the bushing, v at itsbottom, in

the stationary contacts 22 and 24 in the closed position of thesectionalizer, and which is lowered by gravity, to operate these'ctionalizer, upon the release of a pull rod 27, which is" shown inthe form of an upwardly extending insulating tube, which has an L-shapedguide plate 28 thelike, is contact bar 26 by a spring 35. p p A counterand lockout mechanism is segregated, in Fig. 2, into its componentparts, consisting of the counter 37 and the operating inechanism 38.

The sectionalizer 11 can theoretically operate either in The particularoperating-mechanism 38 Which is shown in the accompanying drawingsconstitutes the subjectmatter of application Serial No. 106,887, nowPatent No. 2,697,149, of J. M. Wallace and A. W. Ogg, entitled OperatingMechanisms for Line Sectionalizers and the Like, which was filed on July26, asslgnee of the present invention. suffice to say that thisoperating-mechanism comprises a bellcrank trigger 53 and anoperating-handle 60. The

the lever 43 which is generally triangular. A lever 46, which isconnected in toggle arrangement with the handle is pivotally connectedto the third pointof the lever 43. The trigger 53 has a downwardlyextending abutment-portion 56 which is adapted to be tripped when anupward movement of a trip-pin 57 of the counter 37 raises tends partlywithin and said abutment point 56 of the trigger, whereupon the linkageof the operating-mechanism permits the pull rod 27 and themovable-contact member 26 to drop freely in the opening operation of themechanism.

The counter 37 is suspended from the top of the'top casting 15, by meansof the depending insulating supports or tubes 33, which support amagnetizable base plate 59 of the counter.

The counter 37 is shown in detail in Fig. 3, and may be of the typedisclosed in the copending application Serial No. 189,082 of James M.Wallace, entitled Circuit interrupter and Counter Therefor, which wasfiled on October 9, 1950, and is assigned to theassignee of the presentinvention, and comprises a vertically disposed tube 62, which ispreferably made of brass or other non-magnetizable metal. The lower endof thetube is partially closed by a plug 63 of iron which acts as astationary magnetic core having an orifice controlledby a ball checkvalve 77 to provide a one way inlet, while the top of the tube 62 isopen. The series current the tube 62, intermediate between its upper andlower ends. Immediately above the coil 19 is a magnetizable plate 64which is perforated so as to surround the tube 62. The plate 64 ismagnetically connected by bolts 66 to the base plate 59 so as to securecoil 19 to the base plate, and serve as one of the two pole pieces of anelectromagnetic circuit, the excitation of which is provided by the coil19.

Inside of the tube 62 is a magnetizable core or armature 67, which isslidably movable, with a relatively close fit, for example having about3 mils radial clearance, within said tube. The armature 67 extendspartly above and partly below the level of the upper plate64, while theplug or core 63 extends partly above and partly below the base plate 59.Each of the members 63 and 67 thus expartly without the space betweenthe plates 64 and 59, respectively.

The armature 67 has a cylindrical extension 63 at its upper end, overwhich fits slidably a non-magnetic cylindrical cap 69. The cap 69 isprovided with a plurality of annular magnetizable ribs or rings 73 whichare vertically spaced from each other by a spacing which is preferablyapproximately the same distance as the closable distance between thecore 63 and the armature 67, so that they will, in conjunction with amagnetizable ring 75 about the tube 62, magnetically lock the capagainst unwanted vertical displacement or slippage. A compression spring74 is disposed between the core 63 and armature 67, so that, when thecoil 19 is sufliciently energized, the armature is attracted toward thecore, storing up energy in the interposed compression spring 74, as willbe more fully described hereafter.

The core 63 isprovided with a central bore 7 6, the lower end of whichis closable by means of a ball check valve 77 and the armature 67 has asimilar bore 7 9 and ball check valve 80, so that the fluid which isentrapped within the closed lower end of the tube 62 can flow up intothe extension 68 and cap 69, but resists any rapid downward movement ofthe cap, because of the closure of these ball valves 77 and 80, whilesaid valves permit the free upward movement of either armature 67 or cap69. The entrapped fluid could be any gas or liquid having the requiredviscosity in comparison with the mechanical clearances which areprovided. The idea is to permit the cap 69 to move freely upwardly, in astep by step motion, as will be subsequently described, while permittingthe cap to drift back downwardly again, by fluid leakage, at a very slowrate.

At the top of the cap 69 is an upstanding pin 82, which extends upwardlyto a point above the open top end of the tube 62. This pin 82 issurrounded by a tubular tip or trip-pin 57, which is capable ofactuating the trigger 53 after any desired number of counts, such as 1,2, 3 or 4, within the range of the countingmechanism 37.

In the operation of the counting mechanism 37, when the coil 19 is firstenergized, with a current corresponding coil 19 surrounds a portion ofto the setting of the counter, the armature 67 is drawn downwardly, soas to close the air gap which separates the inner ends of the core 63and armature .67. The cap 69 cannot move downwardly, because of theholding effeet of the magnetic rings 73 in the magnetic field at upperplate 64, and hence the armature 67 must move downwardly relativethereto. When the circuit is interrupted, the spring 74 forces thearmature 67 upwardly and the cap 69 is carried upwardly therewith. Uponreenergization of the coil 19 the armature 67 is again drawn downrelative to the cap 69, and upon subsequent inte1ruption of the circuitthe spring 74 again raises the armature 67 and the cap 69 with it, untilthe next magnetic ring 73 comes into the field of the plate 64. Thisaction continues until the pin 57 engages the trigger 53 to break thetoggle mechanism and. drop contact rod 27, thereby separating movablecontact 26 from contacts 22 and 24.

Referring to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the interrupting device 12 maybe enclosed in a generally cylindrical casing 102 of insulating materialsuch as porcelain or the like, which is an integral part of thesectionalizer bushing 23, and is open at the top and closed at thebottom, except for a central aperture throughwhich extends the stem 103of a stationary contact 104 which may be threadably connected with theterminal conductor 25 of the sectionalizer. In general, the interruptingdevice may be of the explosion type as disclosed in copendingapplication Serial No. 237,502 of Harry I. Lingal et al., entitledCircuit Interrupters, which was filed on July 19, 1951 and is assignedto the assignee of the present invention. As therein disclosed, amovable contact 105 may be mounted on a contact rod 106 slidablydisposed for movement relative to the contact 104. An are chamber 197 isprovided by a cylindrical cup 108 of insulating material secured to abase plate 109 through which the stem 103 of the fixed contact projects.An orifice 110 lined with a polymer 111, such as polytetrafluoroethyleneor the like, surrounds the contact rod 106 where it passes through thecup 168 for assisting in extinguishing an arc drawn during separation ofthe contacts.

In accordance with the teachings of my invention, a coil 114 may bedisposed about a tube 115 which extends between plates 116 and 117 ofmagnetic material. The plates are connected by studs 118 also ofmagnetic material, whch are threaded into insulating spacers 119 and120. The spacers 120 are secured to the base plate 109 at the bottom ofthe casing by screws 124, while the spacers 119 are connected at theirupper ends by similar screws to a top plate 126. A flanged cover 127seals the open end of the casing, being secured to the casing bysoldering or other such means. The lower end of the bushing 23 maylikewise be provided with a cover solder sealed to the bushing so as toprovide a gas tight enclosure which is filled with an arc extinguishinggas such as sulfur hexafluoride or the like, preferably under a pressureof one or more atmospheres. A terminal 128 is secured to the cover by astud 129 mounted on the top plate 126 and projecting through the cover.A gasket 130 of compressible material such as rubber, co k or the likeis interposed between the terminal 128 and cover 127.

The contact rod 106 extends through the tube 115 and is pivotallyconnected to a lever 131 by a pivot 132 which rides in a slot 133 in thelever. Lever 131 is pivotally mounted on the top of plate 116 by a pivot135 in supports 136. A channel shaped link 13% is pivotally connected atone end by a pivot to an extension of lever 131, so that the back of thechannel lies over the top of the lever. Two springs 142 (only one beingshown) are connected to the other end of the link 138 (one to each sidethereof), and to a support 144 depending from the top plate 126, so asto provide a predetermined contact pressure between contacts 104 and105. The springs 142 are so disposed that they furnish only a contactclosing force, and do not function to separate the contacts;

A cylindrical armature 145 is slidably mounted on the contact rod 106for engaging a collar 146 thereon in response "to a current through thecoil 114 in excess of a predetermined value, to separate the contacts. Aspring 147 disposed on the rod between the armature and collar, andrecessed therein, provides a follow up force foref- A conductor 148connects the terminal 128 to one end of the coil, while a conductor 149completes a circuit from the other end of the coil to the moving contact105. From there the circuit may be traced through the sect iohalizer ashereinbefore described.

In operation, the armature 145 will be actuated in response to a currentthrough the coil 114, and will strike the collar 146, separating thecontacts 104 and 165. Lever 131 "rotates clockwise under the influenceof th'e armature 145 pushing on collar 146 until its engages the back ofchannel 138 in Which position the springs 142 no longer exert a downwardforce on contact rod 106 and the spring 147 can snap the contacts to thefull open position. the contacts, an arc is through. Thepolytetrafluoroethylene liner 111 in the orifice 110 assists ininterrupting the are as does also the sulfur hexafluoride gas in thecasing 102, as is explained in detail in the hereinbefore referred tocopending application of Harry J. Lingal ct al., Serial No. 237,502,filed on July 19, 1951, and assigned to the assignee; of the presentinvention. After a circuit interrupting operation, the springs 142 actwith increasing force to close the contacts 105104 as the lever 131rotates counterclockwise and the contacts will be closed with a snapaction.

When there is a fault on the distribution line, within the protectivereach of the interrupter 12 associated with the sectionalizer 11,interrupter contacts 104 and 105 quickly open, and quickly again recloseas hereinbefore described, but during the time (12 cycles or more, in a60-cycle line) when said interrupter contacts are open, thesectionalizer-coil 19 is denergized, and the compression-spring 74between the core 63 and armature 67, which was compressed in response tothe fault current, eitpands, and'p'ushes the armature and core apartagain, to their normal separation distance. During this action, however,the armature 67 cannot move upwardly relative to cap 69, because of itsfluid flow valve 80, and hence the cap must move upwardly with thearmature, which it is free to do, so far as fluid action is concerned.The magnetic attraction between the upper plate 64 and the correspondingmagnetiiable ribs 73 of the armature 67 is now practically non-existent,because of the deenergization of the coil 19, and hence the armature 67and cap 69 are notched upwardly by a distance corresponding to theamount of compression of the spring 74.

If a fault continues on the distribution system, at a point beyond thesectionalizer coil 19, the reclosure of the interrupter contacts 104-105reenergizes the sectionalizer coil 19 and causes a second compression ofthe spring 74, in a manner already described; If the fault is still onthe system, as has just been assumed, the interiiiptei' contacts 104 105again open, and a second upward stepping movement of the trip pin 57 isobtained. And thus the step by step movement of the counter mechanisnicontinues.

When the last upward stepping of the armature 67 is obtained, dependingupon the vertical positioning of the trip pin or tubular tip 57, thispin 57 comes into contact with the trigger 53 duringlthislast upwardmovement, and trips out the s'ectionalize'r contacts 262 g It will benoted that this last upward movement of the trip pin to a'c'urr ent inexcess 57 occurs during a time when the current in the sectiona'lizercoil 19 is off. In the operation of the interrupter, the current remainsoff; that is, the interrupter contact remains open; for a minimum ofabout 12 cycles (on a 60-cycle line), before the interrupter contacts104105 reclbse. The opening of the sectionalizer contact 26 re- Sincecertain changes may be made in the above described construction, anddifferent embodiments of the invention may be made without departingfrom the scope and spirit thereof, it is intended that all the mattercontained in the above description and shown in the accompahyingdrawings, shall be considered as illustrative only and not in a limitingsense.

I claim as my invention:

1. An automatic reclosing circuit breaker comprising, a circuitinterrupting device having separable contacts and electroresponsivemeans operable during an off-current I, of a predetermined value, saidsep} arable contacts thereby limiting the number of operations of theinterrupter.

5. A unitary circuit interrupter comprising, a container, separablecontacts in said container, counting means in said container operable toeffect separation of said contacts after a predetermined number ofcircuit interruptions, insulating means having a sealed chamber filledwith sulphur hexafiuoride gas carried by said container, and conductingmeans in said insulating means providing an electrical connection tosaid contacts including separable contacts and operating mechanismtherefor completely disposed in the sealed chamber and electroresponsivemeans operable to actuate said mechanism to repeatedly effect separationthereof in response to a current in excess of a predetermined value.

6. A circuit interrupter comprising, a container, a cover for saidcontainer, separable contacts supported by said cover in said container,electroresponsive means operable in response to a predeter ined numberof circuit interruptions to effect separation of said contacts during acircuit interruption, and means providing an electrical connection tosaid contacts including a circuit interrupter supported by said coverhaving separable contact means connected in series circuit relation withthe aforesaid contacts and electroresponsive means operable to separatesaid contacts in response to a current above a predetermined value tocontinuously effect repeated interruptions of said current.

7. In an automatic reclosing circuit breaker, a sectionalizing switchhaving a casing with separable contacts therein operated during acircuit interruption by counting means operable in response to circuitinterruptions; an insuiator providing an insulated entrance to saidcasing and interrupting means in said insulator including separablecontact means connected in series circuit relation with the aforesaidcontacts, said insulator providing a gas tight container for saidcontact means containing an arc extinguishing gas, and electroresponsivemeans in the insulator for continuously effecting repeated separationsof said contact means in response to a current in excess of apredetermined value.

8. An automatic reclosing circuit breaker comprising, a casing having ametal cover, separable contacts in said casing, an operating mechanismfor moving one of said contacts relative to the other, releasable meansfor normally maintaining said mechanism in a position for maintainingsaid contacts engaged, electroresponsive means in said casing operableafter a predetermined number of circuit interruptions and during aninterruption to effect release of said releasable means, an insulatingbushing mounted on said cover, separable contact means in said bushing,means connecting said contact means in series circuit relation with saidseparable contacts including electroresponsive means having a coilconnected in series with said contact means for repeatedly separatingthem in response to a current in excess of a predetermined value, saidbushing providing a solder-sealed container maintaining said contactmeans in an atmosphere of sulfur hexafluoride.

9. A circuit interrupter comprising, separable contacts, an operatingmechanism operable to separate or close said contacts, counting meansoperable in response to a predetermined number of interruptions of acurrent in excess of a predetermined value to effect separation of saidcontacts during a circuit interruption, an enclosure for said contacts,operating mechanism and counting means, a solder-sealed container filledwith an are extinguishing gas supportedby and providing an insulatedentrance into said enclosure, separable contact means dis posed in saidcontainer connected in series with said counting means and separablecontacts, and eiectroresponsive means connected in series with theseparable contact means operable in response to a current in excess of apredetermined value to repeatedly eiiect separation of said contactmeans to interrupt the circuit.

10. In a circuit interrupter, a container, a cover for said container,separable contacts biased to separate and supported by said cover insaid container, a lever connected at one point to one of said contacts,toggle means providing a pivotal support for the lever at another point,releasable means pivotally supported from the cover to provide a pivotalsupport for the lever at a point spaced from said other points tomaintain the contacts closed, electroresponsive means supported fromsaid cover in said container operable in response to a predeterminednumber of circuit interruptions to effect release of said releasablemeans while the circuit is interrupted, a separate solder-sealedcontainer supported by said cover, separable contact means disposed insaid separate container and connected in series with saideleetroresponsive means, and electroresponsive means in said separatecontainer for separating said contact means including an armaturemovable in response to a current in excess of a predetermined value torepeatedly efiect separation of said contact means until the separablecontacts are separated.

11. An automatic reclosing circuit breaker comprising, a sectionalizingswitch having separable contacts normally closed and opened during aninterruption of the circuit by counting means after a predeterminednumber of circuit interruptions, and an interrupter disposed in a sealedinsulating bushing filled with sulfur hexafiuoride'gas comprisingseparable contacts and mechanism therefor com pletely disposed in an arcextinguishing medium and having electroresponsive means continuouslyoperable to repeatedly separate them in response to a current in excessof a predetermined value.

12. In an automatic reclosing circuit breaker the combination, of acasing, a sectionalizing switch in said casing having terminalsconnected by separable contacts and counting means responsive to apredetermined number of circuit interruptions for effecting separationof said contacts, and means providing an insulated connection into saidcasing including an insulating bushing mounted on said casing and havingseparable contact means therein biased to close and connected in serieswith said separable contacts, counting means and terminals, andelectroresponsive operating means continuously operable to repeatedlyseparate said contact means in response to a current in excess of apredetermined value.

13. An automatic reclosing circuit breaker comprising, a casing, asectionalizing switch in said casing having terminals connected byseparable contacts and counting means operable in response to apredetermined number of circuit interruptions to effect. separation ofsaid contacts; and means providing an insulated connection to saidterminals including an insulating bushing mounted on said casing havinga circuit interrupter therein with separable contact means connected inseries with said terminals and sectionalizing switch, electroresponsivemeans operable in response to a current in excess of a predeterminedvalue continuously operable to repeatedly separate said contact means,said bushing providing a sealed enclosure maintaining said contact meansin an atmosphere of sulfur hexafiuoride gas.

14. An automatic reclosing circuit breaker comprising, a container, acover for said container, terminal'conductors, insulating meansproviding for passage of said terminalconductors through the coverincluding an insulating bushing having a gas tight chamber therein,stationary contacts supported by said terminal conductors in saidcontainer, a movable contact, an operating mechanism supporting saidmovable contact for movement relative to said stationary contacts,releasable means for maintaining said operating mechanism in a positionwith the movable contact engaging the stationary contacts, countingmeans operable in response to a predetermined number of circuitinterruptions to actuate said releasable means to effect separation ofsaid contacts, separable contacts disposed in said chamber in serieswith the aforesaid contacts including a fixed contact connected to saidterminal and a movable contact, operating means for said movable contactcompletely disposed within said cham- Let, eiectroresponsive meansmounted in said bushing to act .ate said means for operating the movablecontact to repeatedly separate it from the stationary contact anindefinite number of times in response to a current in excess of apredetermied value, said movable contact being biased to reengage thefixed contact following such eparation, and a cover for said bushingcarrying a terminal connected in circuit with the electroresponsivemeans and movable contact.

15. A circuit interrupting device comprising, first set of separablecontacts, overload responsive means operable to effect separation ofsaid contacts, said contacts being biased to reclose following everyseparation, a second overload responsive means operable to count closelysuccessive occurrences of overload on the circuit, and a second set ofseparable contacts connected in series with said first set disposed tobe separated by said second overload responsive means and maintainedseparated only after a predetermined number of separations of said firstset of contacts to limit the number of operations of said first set ofseparable contacts.

16. In a circuit interrupter, a pair of terminals, a first set ofseparable contacts connected between said erminals, overload responsivemeans operable to separate said contacts, said contacts being biased toreclose following every separation, a second overload responsive meansoperable to count closely successive separations of said contacts, and asecond set of separable contacts connected between said terminals inseries circuit relation with said first set of contacts disposed to beseparated by said second overload responsive means during separation ofsaid first set and maintained separated only after said second overloadresponsive means has counted a predetermined number 10 of closelysuccessive separations of said first set of separable contacts.

17. A circuit interrupting device comprising, a first set of separablecontacts, overload responsive means operable to effect an indefinitenumber of repeated separations of said contacts, said contacts beingbiased to reclose following each separation, counting means advanced inresponse to closely successive separations of said first contacts, asecond set of contacts connected in series with said first set separableonly after a predetermined count by said second overload responsivemeans, a container for said second set of contacts and said secondoverload responsive means, and means providing electrical connections tosaid second contacts and overload means including a hollow insulatingbushing for said container disposed to completely contain said first setof contacts and said first overload responsive means.

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